At one point in time,
all of our ancestors were living, breathing humans. Sometimes in our search
for records and answers this crucial fact is forgotten. This week we discuss
several facts and characteristics of individuals that can cause them to be
listed in records (or even sometimes to be omitted). Are there features of
your ancestor that you are overlooking? Remember that your ancestor lived in
an actual time and in an actual place and interacted with other people.
Perhaps these features or these interactions, where applicable to your
ancestor, have generated additional records.

Your Ancestor Was
BornHave you looked
for birth records (both civil and church)? Have you looked for baptismal
records?

Your Ancestor Was
Married (Probably)Have you looked
for complete marriage records (both civil and church)? Have you looked for
marriage bonds and marriage banns? Was there a notice in the newspaper?

Your Ancestor Died
Have you looked for death records (both civil and church)? Have you looked
for cemetery or sexton's records and obtained the information on the
tombstone? Have you looked for probate and will files and guardianship
records on any minor children?

YourAncestorOwnedLandHave you found
records indicating how the land was obtained and how the land was transferred
from your ancestor's ownership? Have you looked for property tax records?
Have you looked for county plat books or atlases, which may provide
additional information on the property?

Your Ancestor Paid
TaxesThe census
taker may miss your ancestor, but the taxman usually does not. Personal
property or real estate tax records may help you establish when your ancestor
resided in a certain area, when he died, or when he obtained property.

Your Ancestor Was
Not Home When the Census Taker Came to the DoorDid a child
answer the door AND the census questions that soon followed? Did an uncertain
neighbor answer the questions instead of a family member? The census will not
tell you who provided the information or how reliable of a source they were.

Your Ancestor Had
Neighbors
Do records on these neighbors--particularly land, probate files, or court
records--mention your ancestor? Perhaps he is mentioned as sharing a property
line, purchasing items at an estate sale, or testifying at a trial.

Your Ancestor Was an
ImmigrantAre there
records of his arrival? Are there records of departure in the country from
which she came? Are there records of a declaration of intent or
naturalization?

Your Ancestor Was a
Citizen
Are there records of the ancestor voting or serving on a jury? If so, these
records may help you approximate the year of birth for your ancestor.

Your Ancestor Was a
Revolutionary Patriot
If so, there may be records of oaths of allegiance,
military service, or military pension. The National Archives (www.nara.gov) or appropriate state archives
may have additional information.

Your Ancestor Was a
Civil War SoldierIf so, there may be Federal or state records of his service
and Federal records of his pension if he was a Union soldier. If his service
was Confederate, there may be state pension records.

Your Ancestor Was
Well-Known LocallyHave you read
the gossip columns of the local paper where your ancestor lived? There may be
significant information on your ancestor contained in these columns, which
are typically more valuable for smaller papers.

Your Ancestor Was
Less Than Dirt PoorPerhaps the
poor farm or almshouse registers will mention him and his family. In some
cases, particularly before the American Revolution, church records may make
mention of widows and other families unable to support themselves. Was your
ancestor forced to farm her children out to strangers in order to keep them
fed?

Your Ancestor Was
DishonestIf he got
caught, there might be court records or newspaper accounts of his activity.
If he did not get caught, what records he did leave behind may be
inconsistent or intentionally incorrect.

Your AncestorAttendedChurch RegularlyIf so, the
family may appear in records of the church beyond the typical baptisms,
confirmations, marriages, and burial records of many congregations.

Your Ancestor Was
LiterateDid she leave
any letters or diaries behind as a record of her life and existence? Does her
will or her estate inventory mention any books by name?

Your Ancestor Did
Not Speak the Language
Consequently was she unable to completely understand questions when asked by
various record officials?

Your Ancestor Was
Distrustful of the Government
As a consequence did he answer census and other questions incorrectly? Did he
try and avoid being listed in any government records at all?

Your Ancestor Had
In-Laws
Does your ancestor appear in any of their records,
particularly as a witness or a bondsman?

Your Ancestor Was...
...more than just a name in a file. He or she was a breathing, living person.
Think about all the events that might have happened in his or her life and
determine if any records might have been created in the process. Think about
how he or she would have responded to various events in his life and
determine if dates of significant events correspond to sudden moves or
changes in lifestyle. Remember that if our ancestors were not human, they
probably would not be our ancestors!

Michael John Neill is
the Course I Coordinator at the Genealogical Institute of Mid America (GIMA)
held annually in Springfield, Illinois, and is also on the faculty of CarlSandburgCollege in Galesburg, Illinois. Michael is the Web columnist
for the FGS FORUM and is on the editorial board of the IllinoisState Genealogical Society Quarterly. He conducts seminars and
lectures on a wide variety of genealogical and computer topics and
contributes to several genealogical publications, including Ancestry
Magazine and Genealogical Computing. You can e-mail him at mjnrootdig@myfamily.com or visit
his website at www.rootdig.com, but h e
regrets that he is unable to assist with personal research.

Copyright 2004,
MyFamily.com.

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